NEWS ARCHIVE

Report: Cheap, addictive opioid medications worsening crisis

WEBVTT G OUR LEAD.>> TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE PAIN.WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?REPORTER: THIS IS A NEWrtREQUIREMENT AT UMASS MEDICALSCHOOL. STUDENT KEVIN O'DAY FACE TO FACEWITH AN ACTOR PLAYING A PATIENTSUFFERING AFTER A RECENT SURGERYrtTAKING PERCOCET BUT STILL IN ALOT OF PAIN.>> I DON'T THINK IT WAS ENOUGH.IT'S NOT REALLY HELPING.REPORTER: KEVIN MUST ASSESS THESITUATION.>>rt SEE YOU THINK THAT I'M FAKINGTHE PAIN?>> ABSOLUTELY NOT, ABSOLUTELYNOT, SIR.rtI THINK IT IS IMPORTANT YOUUNDERSTAND THE RISKS OF TAKINGTHESE MEDICATIONS.REPORTER: THE RISKS -- FORDECADES PRESCRIPTIONS OPIATESWERE WILDLY OVER PRESCRIBEDrtLEADING TO ADDICTION, AND WHENPILLS WEREN'T AVAILABLE ALL TOOOFTEN PATIENTS TURNED TO HEROIN.PRESCRIBERS ARE PART OF THEPROBLEMrt.WE ARE PART OF WHAT CONTRIBUTEDDIRECTLY TO THE OVERDOSES ANDPEOPLE BECOMING ADDICTED.REPORTER: IN 2015 GOVERNOR BAKERrtBROUGHT ALL FOR MASSACHUSETTSMEDICAL SCHOOLS TOGETHER TODEVELOP CORE REQUIREMENTS FORSAFER OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONTRAINING, RANGING FROMrtPREVENTION TO BETTERUNDERSTANDING THE DISEASE.DR. MELISSA FISCHER WAS PART OFTHAT TEAM. >>rt ONE OF THE THINGS IN TERMS OFPREVENTION IS WE ARE TEACHINGOUR STUDENTS TO TALK, IN MOREDEPTH, WITH THEIR PATIENTS ABOUTHOW TOrt TALK WITH THEIR PATIENTSABOUT OPIATES.REPORTER: IT IS NOW ALSO AREQUIREMENT FOR UMASS NURSINGSTUDENTS LIKE MAGGIE DONOVAN.MAGGIE DONOVAN: KEEP IT IN ALOCKED CABINET OR A LOCKEDrt WALKS-- BOX HIGH UP. REPORTER: HERE SHE'S TEACHINGTHE PATIENT ABOUT SAFELY STORINGOPIATES WHILE LEARNING ABOUTFINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE FORTREATMENT AND THE BEST APPROACH.rtMAGGIE DONOVAN: OFTEN THESECONVERSATIONS HAVE A LOT OFEMOTIONS BEHIND THEM BECAUSETHESE PATIENTS ARE IN A LOT OFPAIN.THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS HAVING THEIRBEST DAY.rtAND THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS HAPPYWITH WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, SOHAVING GOOD PRACTICE WITH THATIS IMPORTANT.REPORTER: THE PRESIDENTS' OPIOIDCOMMISSION IS NOW RECOGNIZINrtGMASSACHUSETTS' PRESCRIBEREDUCATION AS A MODEL.GOVERNOR BAKER: THE NEXTGENERATION OF PRESCRIBERS AREGOING TO COME INTO THIS WITH ArtFULL DOSE OF WHAT WORKS AND WHATDOESN'T, HOW THEY SHOULD BEPRESCRIBED, WHAT THE WARNINGSIGNS SHOULD BE, AND THE FACTTHAT THESE THINGS SHOULD BETREATED WITH A HIGH DEGREE OFrtCAUTION AND SERIOUSNESS.THINKING THE RIGHT WAY ABOUTTHIS STUFF IS A HUGE PART OF HOWWE WIN.MELISSA FISCHER: WHAT'S AT RISKBY NOT DOING TrtHIS?MELISSA FISCHER: THE RISK ISTHAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A HUGETOLL IN OUR COUNTRY IN TERMS OFTHE OPIOID EPIDEMIC AND THEENORMOUS NUMBER OF DEATHS ANDrtTHE DESTRUCTION THAT IT ISCAUSING TO AMERICAN FAMILIES.>> WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW BESTPRACTICES FOR PRESCRIBING, ALSOrtIDENTIFYING A PROBLEM FORPATIENTS AND THE RESOURCES FORTREATMENT.WE NEED TO BE THE SOLUTION ASWELL.rtREPORTER: AND WHAT DID YOU LEARNFROM THIS SCENARIO?KEVIN O'DAY: THIS WAS THEPERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHEN IT ISAPPROPRIATE TO UrtSE THESEMEDICATIONS.REPORTER: KEVIN NOW A SECONDRESIDENT AND MAGGIE A NURSEPRACTITIONER, SAY THEY SEES HOWTHE OPIOID EPIDEMIC ISrt AFFECTINGFAMILIES EVERY DAY.KEVIN O'DAY: IT'S A BIGRESPONSIBILITY ON MY HALF NOT TOCONTRIBUTE TO THE EPIDEMIC, BUTAT THE SAME TIME TO RECOGNIZE MYPATIENTS ARE OFTEN IN PAIN ANDrtTHEY NEED TO TREAT IT. MAGGIE DONOVAN: TO MAKE SURETHESE OPIOIDS ARE DOINGSOMETHING GOOD FOR THEM SO WEARE MANAGING THE RISK OF ANOPIOID MEDICATION WITH THEBENEFITS.ED:rt THAT IS KAREN ANDERSONREPORTING.IT'S NOT JUST NEW MEDICALSTUDENTS GETTING THIS TRAINING.

An article by The New York Times and ProPublica reported that many insurers may be contributing to the opioid epidemic.

The report stated that opioid drugs are generally cheap while safer alternatives are often more expensive. Patients are also required to get prior approval for certain medications but not others, which may act as a hurdle to less-addictive treatments, according to the report.

Companies responded that they have made changes, such as by reducing how long prescriptions last, in an effort to address problems with addiction.

An article by The New York Times and ProPublica reported that many insurers may be contributing to the opioid epidemic.

The report stated that opioid drugs are generally cheap while safer alternatives are often more expensive. Patients are also required to get prior approval for certain medications but not others, which may act as a hurdle to less-addictive treatments, according to the report.